Christmas Marketing Ideas That Aren’t Crap

It may still only be early November, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thinking about your seasonal marketing already. Don’t do what many do and leave it until the last minute, then panic when December creeps up and you’re left without a plan.

Christmas is known as the “happiest time of the year” – use this goodwill season as an opportunity to reward your customers and increase customer loyalty, whilst pushing your christmas sales through the chimney.

To help, we’ve put together some of the best marketing ideas you could use for your business this year, and you don’t even have to get us a mince pie (but the Sherry is obligatory).

Christmas Marketing Ideas

1. An Online Advent Calendar For Your Business

Whether you’re in retail or the restaurant industry, having your own online advent calendar on your website can be a great way to increase your Christmas sales whilst rewarding your customers.

As long as you’re giving visitors a useful gift to take away with them when they open one of your digital doors, they’ll likely keep coming back (and tell their friends and family!).

Just remember by useful, I mean something like a “free starter” or “20% off” a particular range on your store. Not something cheesy and annoying like the Mcdonald’s 2013 festive countdown advent calendar, which featured really life like “Mcdonald’s moments” inside each door.

Who doesn’t get their traditional big mac on Christmas Eve?

2. A Christmas Wishlist Competition

Create a competition which encourages customers to make their own “Christmas wishlist” of your products, sharing their creations on social media to enter for the chance to win the entire list.

The wishlist’s could be made on Pinterest boards – similar to how Topshop did their #DearTopshop campaign – or on popular collage board creating sites such as Polyvore.

To make judging simple, ask people to use a specific hashtag which allows you to find the entries easily on social media sites, then announce the winner on Christmas eve for added festiveness.

Such a competition is bound to get people interested and talking about your brand.

3 . A Daily “Find The Mince Pie” Promotion On Your Website

People love a challenge – especially when there’s the promise of a prize at the end. Hide a small Christmas themed image on a single page of your website – maybe a mince pie, a santa hat, or a lump of coal if you’re feeling a bit scroogey.

Then create extra excitement by giving out clues on social media, asking that people retweet or repost these clues (whilst in-boxing you the whereabouts of the image) for a chance to enter.

Not only will you have people looking through your website with a fine toothed comb (leading to possible extra sales) but you’ll also create a great buzz online through social media, raising your brand awareness.

4. Team Up With Another Company To Give A Free Gift With Every Order

Asos recently put a free sample of Jacob’s sweet chilli crackers within my order. My first thoughts were “Cool I’m hungry” and second thoughts after trying were “wow these are bloody good” and I’ve purchased more since.

It’s nice getting little surprises, and since Christmas is heavily centred around gifts and treats you could recreate this surprise by teaming up with another brand to give your customers a free extra treat with every order.

It works out well for the brand supplying the treat too – I wouldn’t have purchased any of those crackers without that sample in my clothes order!

We Can Help

If you’d like us to make any of these Christmas marketing ideas work for your business, then please do get in touch by contacting us with any of your santa or snowflake requirements at hello@thisisopenpath.co.uk or on 0113 3204880.